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Prevalence of obesity and associated sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in Ecuadorian children and adolescents

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posted on 2024-07-24, 08:44 authored by José Francisco López-Gil, Sitong Chen, Ruben López-Bueno, Hector Gutiérrez-Espinoza, Miguel Angelo Duarte Junior, Pablo Galan-Lopez, José Luis Palma-Gamiz, Lee Smith

Background

Given the increasing prevalence of obesity in young people in Ecuador, there is a need to understand the factors associated with this condition. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of obesity in Ecuadorian children and adolescents aged 5–17 years and identify its associated sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición (ENSANUT-2018). The final sample consisted of 11,980 participants who provided full information on the variables of interest.

Results

The prevalence of obesity was 12.7%. A lower odd of having obesity was observed for adolescents; for those with a breadwinner with an educational level in middle/high school or higher; for each additional day with 60 or more minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; and for those with greater daily vegetable consumption (one, two, or three or more servings). Conversely, there were greater odds of obesity in participants from families with medium, poor, and very poor wealth and those from the coast and insular region.

Conclusions

The high prevalence of obesity in Ecuadorian children and adolescents is a public health concern. Sociodemographic and lifestyle behavior differences in young people with obesity should be considered when developing specific interventions.

Impact

As the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents increases in Latin America, with a particular focus on Ecuador, it becomes crucial to delve into the factors linked to this condition and identify the most successful strategies for its mitigation.

The elevated prevalence of obesity among young individuals in Ecuador raises significant public health concerns.

To develop targeted interventions, it is crucial to account for sociodemographic variables and lifestyle behaviors that contribute to obesity in this population.

History

Refereed

  • Yes

Publication title

Pediatric Research

ISSN

0031-3998

Publisher

Springer Nature [academic journals on nature.com]

File version

  • Published version

Item sub-type

Article

Affiliated with

  • School of Psychology and Sport Science Outputs